In many food products, incorporated air is used to increase the volume of the food product. Thus, gas can be used as an inert filler and reduce the amount of calories and components like e.g. saturated fat, salt and sugar in a given volume of product. Examples of foamed food products are e.g. whipped cream, bavarois, herb butter, some fresh cheese products, ice cream, chocolate with air bubbles, cappuccino. Next to volume increase, the airy texture may provide a foamy, creamy and/or light mouth feel to the consumer, which is desired for many products. The presence of gas bubbles in a product may also give it an appealing appearance. Especially in new style cooking, sauces, dressings and butters but also soups, purees etc. may be foamed, representing a new dimension of cooking and food products with increasing relevance.
When producing food products comprising gas bubbles, a main challenge to meet is that gas bubbles are not stable in time. Stabilisation in conventional food products is provided by e.g. fat crystals (whipped cream, herb butter, aerated fat spread) or by protein (cappuccino, bavarois) possibly in combination with gelling agent. A problem with a fat-based stabilisation mechanism is that it is considered to be unhealthy, as fat types are required which melt at higher temperatures, such as saturated, hard, fats. Such fat may have adverse effect on blood cholesterol level. Fats also have a high caloric content. A problem with the protein-based stabilisation mechanisms is that they are applicable only for a limited range of products. Such foams may also loose their stability quickly, e.g. whipped egg white. Both stabilisation mechanisms fail, at least to certain extent, when applied at higher temperatures, and may tend to lose their stabilising effect when heated or even when stored outside a chilled area.
Therefore, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a food composition comprising gas bubbles, wherein the stabilisation mechanism of the gas bubbles is low in caloric value and applicable for a broad range of food compositions. It is also an aim for the food composition to have relatively good stability against disproportionation. Disproportionation is the growth of large gas bubbles at the expense of small ones, resulting in an increase of average bubble size. The food composition comprising gas bubbles should be stable for at least some hours or preferably some days at room temperature. Preferably, the food composition comprising gas bubbles is stable for at least several hours at higher temperature (higher than 20° C.) and survives the supply chain from the factory to the consumer without significant trouble. Preferably, the food composition has a pleasant mouth feel. Preferably, the stabilisation mechanism can be prepared from conventional and relatively cheap materials.